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Well-connected KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has released a note to investors about Apple’s rumored wireless “AirPods” ahead of the company’s iPhone event tomorrow, saying he expects Apple to have “its own-designed Bluetooth-like communication chip and launch own-brand Bluetooth headphones targeting the high-end market.” In a statement that echoes previous reports, Kuo said Apple’s own custom chip may deviate from Bluetooth specifications, providing the company with its own proprietary low-power wireless communications for home and auto accessories beyond headphones.

Wireless headphone maker Bragi has introduced a new set of Bluetooth earbuds, called The Headphone, ahead of Apple’s announcement that it’s doing away with the headphone jack in the iPhone 7. The new offering is a stripped-down version of the company’s Dash headphones, ditching the built-in storage and fitness sensors to get the price down to $149. The Bluetooth 4.0 earbuds boast a 6-hour battery life (up to 250 hours in standby mode) and a charge time of less than 2 hours. Three buttons on the side of one earbud give users the option to skip tracks, take calls, and deliver voice commands through the built-in headset microphone. Small, medium and large FitTips provide options to find a comfortable fit and passive noise isolation technology can be turned on to keep distracting noise out. Bragi says The Headphone will start shipping in November, and customers can currently pre-order at a reduced $119 presale price.

In addition to unveiling next-generation iPhones, it appears that Apple will also unveil new Beats products at next week’s event, according to an email received from the Beats PR team by iGeneration. Although the announcement merely says “a selection of new Beats by Dre products will be unveiled” without going into specifics, considering that the iPhone 7 is expected to omit the headphone jack in favor of the Lightning port, it seems likely that new Lightning-equipped headphones and possibly even wireless headphones will make their debut.

Logitech has announced Circle Safe, a new subscription-based video storage plan for its Logi Circle camera that allows users to keep and replay video footage beyond the default 24 hours. Priced at $10/month or $100/year, Circle Safe allows users to keep up to 31 days of video footage in their Logitech Circle account, along with the ability to create custom time-lapse Day Briefs covering a specific time frame, rather than an entire day’s worth of footage. All Logi Circle users can take advantage of a 31-day free trial for Circle Safe, and plans are available at discounted rates for a limited time. Users can sign up through the updated Logi Circle app.

A new photo posted by French site NowhereElse alleges to show that Apple will include both Lightning-equipped EarPods and a Lightning adapter for 3.5mm headphones with its iPhone 7 Plus. The image shows an alleged packaging insert for a 256GB iPhone 7 Plus that lists both accessories alongside the usual Lightning-to-USB cable and USB power adapter included with every iPhone.

Russian trademark filings uncovered by mobiltelefon.ru show identifiers for 10 different individual versions of Apple Watch and wireless headphones referred to as “AirPods” designed for use with the iPhone 7. A leaked video of EarPods featuring a Lightning connector has led to speculation that Apple may package those with the iPhone 7, since they’re rumored to have done away with the 3.5mm headphone jack. These latest filings hint that Apple may be offering its first version of wireless earbuds for users who want to ditch the cord all together. The AirPods name implies that the accessory will be a first-party accessory, not branded through the company’s Beats label. But whether they’ll be in the box with the iPhone or sold separately is an open question.

Incipio Group has announced the acquisition of Griffin Technology, the latest in a series of acquisitions that have recently included Skullcandy, Clamcase, Incase, and Braven. “Griffin has a 25 year history of designing, manufacturing and distributing iconic mobile accessories,” stated Andy Fathollahi, Founder and CEO of Incipio Group. “As part of Incipio Group, Griffin strengthens our product development and manufacturing capabilities, complements our existing product lines in rugged cases, power and connectivity, and allows our brands to reach a broader domestic and international audience through enhanced distribution in the business-to-business, enterprise and education verticals.” Griffin will continue as a stand-alone brand and retain its global headquarters in Nashville. Other terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Apple has been working for the past few years on developing a custom low-power Bluetooth radio chip for wireless earbuds, according to a new report in Forbes. The report notes that Apple could launch a set of Bluetooth earbuds as soon as September alongside the new iPhone model, which is expected to omit the 3.5mm headphone jack found on prior models. Recent leaks have suggested that Apple will bundle either Lightning EarPods or a Lightning audio adapter in with the next-generation iPhone models. Low-power Bluetooth headphones could provide another alternative — although it seems likely that such earphones would be sold as a separate option rather than being included in the package.

After last week’s video showing a Lightning-to-3.5mm headphone adapter, new footage appears to show a new set of Apple EarPods with a Lightning connector. Like pictures leaked earlier this month, the new EarPods in the video feature an in-line remote that allows users to control music playback and volume. A report from last week cited supply chain sources who said Apple would be including a Lightning adapter with the iPhone 7 rather than Lightning-equipped EarPods, but the narrator of this latest video seems convinced the new EarPods will ship with the latest iPhone. [via Apple Insider]

Photos that have popped up on Chinese search website Weibo appear to show new Apple EarBuds with a Lightning connector in place of the old 3.5mm headphone plug. Since Apple bundles EarPods with all of its iPhones, this is another indication that rumors about Apple ditching the headphone jack may be true. The Lightning connector on the pictured EarPods is a bit thicker than the one that comes with the current iPhone’s cable—perhaps due to the added bulk of the technology required to transfer digital audio—which could be an issue for some iPhone cases if the images prove to be legit. [via NowhereElse]

With Apple rumored to be doing away with the headphone jack on its new iPhone, Cirrus Logic is offering a development kit to aid headphone makers looking to simplify the switch to Lightning connectors. The company’s MFi Headset Development Kit includes reference designs for creating Lightning port connected headphones and a development board to be used in programming, debugging and testing audio performance. The design is compatible with earbuds or over-the-ear headphones and pre-programmed to support both digital audio playback and voice capture. With very few Lightning-connected headphone options currently available, the area is poised for rapid expansion.

Mobile device accessory maker Incipio Technologies has announced plans to acquire Skullcandy, which specializes in audio solutions, and gaming products through its Astro Gaming brand. This is the fourth in a spate of recent acquisitions by Incipio, with the company having acquired Incase and Clamcase last year, and Braven back in 2013.

Jawbone CEO Hosain Rahman says the company is “still committed” to the wearables business, refuting recent reports that Jawbone is exiting the wearables business or going out of business altogether. In a blog post on the company’s website, Rahman denies recent media reports as “unequivocally false,” noting that the speculation appeared to come from “wrongful insinuations” made by “a particular digital publication,” and although the publication later made a correction, this was not done until after other media picked up on the news and spread it further. Rahman emphasizes that Jawbone “remains wholly committed to innovating in and building great wearables products” and has technology in the pipeline that they “look forward to sharing ... with the world.”

Apple has added a new Accessibility category to its online store, highlighting accessories specifically designed for people with physical and intellectual disabilities. The new section also includes specific sub-categories to allow users to filter by accessories geared to assisting in visual, physical and motor skill, and learning & literacy areas. The Accessibility section is limited in selection compared to other sections in Apple’s online store, with only 15 different accessories available at this point.

Invoxia has added support for Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service to its acclaimed Triby connect kitchen speaker, making it the first non-Amazon device to add support for the voice assistant. Following the launch of its Echo voice controlled speaker last year, Amazon also debuted the Alexa Skills Kit, a free SDK allowing third-party developers to integrate the service into their devices, and Invoxia has now risen to the challenge and added Alexa support for all existing Triby owners via a software update. As per Invoxia’s support FAQ, Triby users will need to be running software version 10.35 or above and have the latest version (2.9) of the Triby iPhone app, available from the App Store. Once enabled through the iPhone app, an Alexa icon will appear in the top-left corner of Triby’s e-ink display, and users can simply call out “Alexa” to begin asking questions.

Accessory maker Logitech said it has agreed to acquire Jaybird, which is known for its wireless earbuds and fitness trackers geared toward the workout crowd. (Read our review of Jaybird’s X2 here.) Logitech paid $50 million for the company with provisions for up to $45 million in additional payments dependent upon Jaybird hitting growth targets. Like Ultimate Ears, a Bluetooth speaker company Logitech purchased in 2008, Jaybird will continue to sell products under its own name even after the acquisition. Bracken Darrell, Logitech president and chief executive officer, said the move gains Logitech entry into the burgeoning wireless audio wearables market and will allow his company to combine its audio engineering and design capabilities with Jaybird’s sports expertise.

Dozens of users have taken to Apple’s customer support page to complain about problems with call quality when using their iPhone SE over Bluetooth. Those pairing their device with car Bluetooth systems are reporting scratchy and distorted audio when using their phone to make calls. Some also reported poor audio quality when using their phones for GPS navigation in the car, and one user said his Jawbone Bluetooth headset experienced similar audio problems when connected to the iPhone SE. The phone audio quality is fine when not paired to Bluetooth, and the connectivity issue doesn’t seem to affect music streaming over Bluetooth.

After Monday’s big iPhone SE reveal, Apple’s online store seems to be acknowledging that most 5/5s cases will work with the new SE. Cases that were once listed as being for iPhone 5/5s are now shown as compatible with 5/5s/SE. All of Speck’s existing iPhone 5/5s cases are compatible with the SE, and the company will make its CandyShell Clear ($35) case, pictured above, available in the new size starting in April. A number of other companies have debuted cases for Apple’s newest devices.

French website NowhereElse has posted what it claims to be several leaked photos of a silicone iPhone 7 case obtained from an accessory manufacturer, fueling previous rumors that Apple is doing away with the headphone jack. The clear case appears to fit a phone similar to the iPhone 6 and 6S in shape and button placement, but with a cutout for a second speaker where the previous phones had a 3.5 mm headphone port. Apple has been rumored to be looking to drop the headphone jack in favor of adding a second speaker for stereo audio, and is expected to launch cord-free Beats earphones alongside the new iPhone 7.